The Mysteries Of Creation

26 May 1992, Summer Course 1992, Brindavan

Published English.

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All religions emphasise human values Religion is of immense help in fostering the integral development of the human personality. It underlines the unity in diversity. True religion teaches the harmony and unity of all religions. The essence as well as the goal of all religions is the attainment of the purity of mind and heart. Every religion has its own precepts and principles. But no religion preaches hatred, untruth or unrighteousness. "Speak the truth, practice righteousness" - enjoin the . Similar sacred injunctions are to be found in all the other religions too. Thus all religions emphasise the human values and serve as beacons for the proper progress and development of mankind. They all facilitate the manifestation of the divinity inherent in man. But the present-day men in general, and the youth in particular, have forgotten our age-old culture and sacred values and are bidding good-bye to God, having been enticed by the modem science and technology.

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Contrast between scientists and Creator Today's scientists are creating artificial satellites which are orbiting around the earth. But these satellites are crashing down or catching fire in a few days or months, whereas the planets in God's creation are orbiting regularly since time immemorial, without any crashing, or catching fire. Light travels at the rate of 1,86,000 miles per second. Even with such a tremendous speed, it takes of years for light to travel around the families or constellations of the sun and stars. In the Milky Way that is visible to us, there are innumerable stars unknown to us. The light from some of the stars has not yet reached the earth, despite the lapse of aeons since their creation. Even the scientists are in doldrums to understand fully such aspects of creation. What a contrast between the scientist who swells up with pride on account of discovering but a minute fraction of the mystery of creation, and the Creator (God) who is running the whole universe peacefully, silently, patiently and lovingly without any pomp or pride! Not this alone. The way this creation or Nature is functioning is amazing beyond words. For instance, the carbon dioxide exhaled by man is being taken up by the plants and the oxygen released by the plants is being inhaled by man. Who has made this mutually beneficial arrangement in Nature? Poet-saints like have sung the praise of the Lord Almighty in the following terms: "Who has watered, manured and grown the small shrubs and the gigantic trees in the crevices of the rocks in the mountains? Who has painted the beautiful peacock and its tail with such attractive colours? Who has designed the wonderful combination of a green body and a red beak for the parrot?" The scientist may explain away all such things as the "Law of Nature." But are these scientists able to transcend Nature or to dispense with the materials available in Nature ?

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Mysteries of God's creation One scientist wanted to know the meaning of the word (Supreme Swan) used in spiritual parlance. He was told that just as the swan separates milk from water by dipping its beak into a mixture of milk and water, the through his proper enquiry and the resulting wisdom separates the (Self) from (Non-self). In turn, when the scientist was questioned as to who endowed the swan with the capacity to separate milk and water, the scientist replied that when the acid secreted by the beak of the swan comes into contact with the mixture of milk and water, the acid curdles the milk, thus separating it from water. But then the question arises as to who has placed this acid in the beak of the swan. Has any scientist done it? No, it is only God who has done this. Such, indeed, are the mysteries of God's creation!

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Do not give room to unnecessary doubts Nowadays students give room to unnecessary doubts. One boy came to me and said, "! has declared that is real and the world is illusory. But who is said to be real is not to be seen anywhere, while we are vividly experiencing the so-called illusory world in our daily lives with all the attendant gains and losses, joys and sorrows - that too not for one or two years but over a period of several years. So, how can we believe that the world is illusory?" To this I replied, "My dear boy! Don't waste your time in-thinking about such questions. Why do you worry yourself about the reality or unreality of and the world? You leave that question to them (i.e. to and the world). First of all, find out the truth about yourself. You may think that you are real. But that alone is considered as real which does not undergo any change during all the three periods of time viz., past, present and future. In the light of this criterion, since your body undergoes change from moment to moment, and also since it is liable to perish altogether at any time, it is considered illusory. The same is the case with the rest of the world." The youth of today argue that they do not undergo any change, forgetting the fact that their body is subject to change from time to time - birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood (manhood), old age and death. Thus, everything in this world undergoes change from time to time and that is the reason why the world is declared to be illusory. did not say that the world is absolutely unreal. He called it illusory, because it is a mixture of reality and unreality, appearing at one time and disappearing at another time. However, students should understand that there is a substratum of reality underlying the illusory world. This can be illustrated by the silver plate which you see on My table. This plate can be converted into a cup tomorrow, or into a spoon the day after. But the substance behind these changing names or forms continues to be the changeless silver. Nevertheless the silver and the cup (or plate) cannot be separated from each other. Similarly, the changeless reality of is the substratum underlying the everchanging, illusory world.

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"The doubter will perish" The students of today are victims of several doubts, because there is a dearth of capable teachers who can come down to the level of the students and explain things clearly to them. Let the students understand the significance of the slogans exhibited on the hind wall of this auditorium, viz. "" (The doubter will perish) and "" (The one with faith gains wisdom). Both (freedom from doubts), and (faith and interest) are necessary for enlightenment, just as the positive and negative currents are needed for the fight to emerge. Hence it is necessary that freedom from doubts on the one hand and faith on the other, should constitute the two banks through which the river of your life should flow, so that it may ultimately merge in the ocean of Divine Grace. The woman saint, said, "Braving all hardships, I dived deep into the ocean of the worldly life and at last got hold of the precious pearl in the name of . If I lose hold of this pearl, I may not get it again. Therefore, Oh Lord! You are my sole refuge." So also, you students may not get such a golden opportunity (as this Summer Course) once again. You should therefore, try to carefully garner the pearls of precious ideas that are now being made available to you, so that they may stand you in good stead throughout your life.